Automobile-wheel.



E. S. LEA.

AUTOMOBILE WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.4,1907,

91 3,522. I Patented Feb. 23, 1909.

2 SHEBTSSHEET 1.

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E. S. LEA.

AUTOMOBILE WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.4,1907.

Patented Fb.23,1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

noantoz gm /7 W WWW 61mm,

,I I M 5/46 Fig.

UNITED s'rnras PATENT UFFICE;

EDWARD S. LEA, OF TRENTON, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGN OR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,TO ROBERT WOLSIENHOLME, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMOBILE-WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 23, 1908.

Application filed November 4, 1907. Serial No. 400,473.

' ing drawings, which form a part thereof.

Many attempts have been made to provide a durable and inexpensiveconstruction of automobile wheel which shall embody reasonableflexibility coupled with strength and resistance to wear in thisdirection wheels have been designed having sectional tires of metalsupported upon coil and other springs and attached to the felly of thewheel, but have proved unsatisfactory when subjected to the severeduties incident to commercial use; and it, has also been the practice inheavy traction work to employ wheels, in which the folly was providedwith channel iron rims supporting heavy solid rubber tires, single or 1nsets of two or more arranged side by side, but these are costly, quicklywear away, and are unsuitable for use in the snow during winter weather.

The object of my invention is to provide a construction of automobilewheel which will overcome the obiections heretofore experienced in thecommercial use of traction wheels by combining a metallic or other hardtread portion in sections to conform to the su1'face"conditions whileadapted to resist wear, and securing these sections to the wheel properwith provision for yielding under pressure, whereby elasticity,durability, ease of repair, and strong tractile contact are secured.

My invention consists of a metallic tire arranged about the whecl properand having pockets circumferentially arranged, comined with independenttread blocks fitting into the pockets and held yieldingly therein bybolts, and interposed elastic cushions between the tread blocks andsides and bottom of the pockets; further, in forming the pockets,cushions and tread blocks tapering in the plane of the rotation of thewheel or transversely thereto or both, whereby the depressioniof thehead blocks will put the elastic cushions under compression; further inproviding the cushions in the above con- .pand.

struction with a series of depressions or apertures to provide spacesinto WlllCl'l the cornpressed rubber forming the cushion may ex;

My invention also consists of details of construction which, togetherwith the features above s ecified, will be better under-5 stood by reerence to the drawings, in which Figure 1 isa.side elevation of onequarter of a wheel, with part in sectionfiembodying my im rovements;Fig. 2 is a cross section of the 'elly and tire of the same on line2-.-2

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the.

tread blocks removed; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the rubbercushions re moved; Fig. 5 1s a erspectwevrew of a modified form of treablock; and Fig, 6 is a sectional elevation of a portion of a wheelembodying a modified form of my invention.

A is the rim or folly of the wheel and may be of wood orof othermaterial, as the wheel proper may be constructed in any manner desired.Secured to the periphery of the wheel and preferably shrunk u on thefolly thereof is a metal tire B. T e tire B is formed with two sides Band a series of transversewalls B at intervals throughout, itscircumference, to form a series of 'ockets L, o ening outward and havinginsi e walls whic 1 are refer-ably tapering as indicated at B I preferthat the outer edges of the sides and transverse walls shall be roundedso as not to cut or injure the rubber which rests against them and whichreceives thepressure of the working shoe or tire-block. This tire ispreferably made of rolled steel, but may he made of cast metal,malleable or otherwise, and integral or in bent-up form, as will bereadily understood bythose skilled in the art.

Fitting into each of the pockets L is a box-shaped cushion part 0 ofrubber or other yielding or elastic material; and this part C is soshaped that it fits down into and snugly rests a ainst the bottom andwalls of the ocket am is further provided with outwar ly directedflanged edges 0 which preferably rest over the outer edges of the sidesas well as the transverse portions of the tire.

-If the walls of the pockets on the inside are tions of duty.

ion parts t. of yielding material, I arrange a (brresponding series ofshoes or tire-blocks D which are imlependently supported in therespective pockets and yieldingly sustained by the rubber parts t, whichconstitute an elastic lining to the pockets. These shoes D arepreferably tapering on their under and inner surfaces and have tlanges dat the outer edges which may overlap and rest upon the flanged parts 0of the part hereinbefore described. In this ay, the shoe i) issupported, on all but its outer surface, directly by the rubber part (.1and indirectly by the tire pockets through the media of theelasticlining or cushion provided by said part- (l. All contact betiicen theshoe and part C is formed by hat or rounded surfaces to prevent alldanger of cutting the rubber of v-xhich part (I is composed and also toenable the rocking motions of the shoe 1.) rela'- tivcly to the tire totake place more freely under the intluenccs brought into play during'thcnormal connnercial use of the a heel. These shoes are preferably ofmetal and may be cast. holloza for lightness.

The shoes D are each secured in place by one or more bolts E, whichextend radially through the e heel felly A, the tire B, the rubber partC, and the shoe 1). These bolts have heads E made \aith spherical undersurfaces which rest upon spherical bottoms I) of sockets D in the shoesin which the heads of the bolts are located and by -chich they areshielded. In this manner, there is a ball and socket 'oint formedbetween the bolt head and shoe and by which provision the shoe may havecapacity for adjusting itself under pressure, in use. The shank of thebolt E should fit loosely in the hole D in the shoe that said shoe maynot be held against a reasonable degree of oscillation. This bolt E alsoextends through large holes I in the the B and C in the rub her part C,so that it is free to spring to a slight extent under any forward orbackward shifting of the shoe D under extreme condi- The bolts E extendthrough the folly and are provided a'ith cupshaped washers G whichsupport and clamp rubber washers F which are located betueen thecup-shaped washers G and the folly. "lhesc bolts are also preferablyprovided "with a nut and lock-nut at ll. and, if desired with a cotterpin 7i-. By this means, the shoes D may be clam i don. n into thepockets L with any pressure desired and yet under no conditions aretheshoes held against reasonable free adjustments toconlorn'i to therequirements of commercial practice. While I prefer to use the washers Fwhen made of rubber, they may be made in any other way or omitted, ifdesired.

The rubber parts (J maybe provided with holes K as well as the holes Cor with re ccsses such as K (l igv 6) into which the body of the rubbermay be expanded under great compression and thereby permit the employmcit of rubber of cheaper quality than mild otherwise be required. As allof the elastic parts C or F are subjected to compressive strains only,it is evident thata low grade rubber \xould be amply sull'icient,espccially as provision is made for practically con'lining the rubberand of avoiding cutting into or abrading the same.

in Fig. 6, l ha e shown the employment of two retaining bolts E for eachshoe D, and therefore, though I prefer a single bolt for each shoe, lreserve the right to employ more than one bolt, these modificationsbeing dependent both upon the size of the wheel and the duty which it isdestined to perform in commercial use. The general cross soctionof thebuilt-up tire is rectangular, and hence occupies small space and isstrong.

ii hile a smooth outer surface or tread to the shoes D is capable ofproviding traction sutlicient under normal conditions of spring, summerand autumn Weather, nevertheless, in winter when snow or ice is upon theground, it is necessary to increase the frictional contact of the shoetherewith and to secure such result l-prefer to -roughen the outer treadsurface of the slice by making it corrtugated or or otherwise.

i it will now be understood that, in the use of my improved wheel withvehicles carrying on commercial trafiic, when at rest the pressure ofthe shoe will be inward radially, but this will be somewhat modifiedwhen the pressure comes jointly upon adjacent ends (1 of two adjacentshoes. During the propulsion of, the vehicle, the said shoes will takeon a rocking motion in the plane of rotation of the wheel, but at alltimes subjecting the rubber cushions to compression. All

of the actual wear comes upon the metallic surface of the shoes andconsequently the life of the wheel will be very great. There is nothingto break and either or both of the parts 0 and l) may be easily andcheaply replaced when worn or deteriorated, such caused by the settingof the rubber. It is also apparent that because of the transverse wallsor abutmcnts ll there is no possibility of the shoes becoming displacedcircumferentially, nor of subjecting the bolts E to undue strain.

A wheel of this character is most excellently adapted to all rough workand has advantages not inherent in ordinary wheels, namely, forexample,.if it were required to cross a track diagonally as in turninginto and out of car tracks, the depression of the rear end of one shoewill present the forward edge of the next shoe in advance further outradially and hence in position to reach over the edge of the rail to bemounted, thereby causing the wheelto easily take hold of thev ribbed asshown in Fig. 5,-

rail to cross it. A wheel of this character is less liable to Skit orslide sidewise than is a pneumatic rubber. tire or any tire in which theouter surface is continuous, and consequently my improved wheel is mostexcellently adapted to speedy turning of corners while carrying heavyloads.

In wlaee of using metal for the shoes or tire-b ocks D, they may be madeof tough wood or other tenacious solid material or composition.

I have described my invention in the form which I have found mostadapted to the conditions of' commercial trafiic and while I prefer saidconstruction, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that thedetails thereof may be modified without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

IIavin now described my invention, what I c aim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is 2*- 1. In an automobilewheel, a metal tireformed of one piece having a series of pockets circumferentiallyarranged and opening outward, combined with independent shoes havingparts respectively fitting into said pockets, intermediate yieldim boxshaped cushions respectively arranged between the walls and bottom ofthe pockets and shoes, so that the shoes are supported by rubber onsides and bottom, and means for holding the shoes in yielding position,whereby the shoes may independently oscillate slightly to "adaptthemselves to the surface over which they are traveling.

2.. In an automobile wheel, a metal tire formed of one piece having aseries of pockets circumterentially arranged with tapered walls andopening outward, combined with independent shoes having tapered partsfitting into said pockets, intermediate yielding box shaped cushions oirubber arranged in acontinuous manner between the walls and bottom ofthe pockets and shoes, and means for holding the shoes in yieldingposition, whereby the shoes may independently move slightly to adaptthemselves to the surface over which they are traveling.-

3. In an automobile wheel, a continuous metal tire having a series ofpockets circumferentially arranged with tapered walls and openingoutward, combined with independent shoes having tapered arts fittinginto i said pockets and lateral l anges d at the outer portion,intermediate yielding box shaped cushions oi rubber arranged between theside walls and bottom of the pockets and shoes and having flanges 0arran ed between the flanges of the shoe and tire, and means for holdingthe shoes in yielding position, whereby the shoes may indepehdentlv moveslightly to adapt themselves to the burlace over which they aretraveling.-

4. In an automobile wheel, a continuous metal the formed of a solid ringstructure having a series of pockets cireumferentially arranged andopening outward, combined with independent shoes having parts fittinginto said pockets, intermediate yielding box shaped cushions arrangedbetween the walls and bottom of the pockets and shoes, and means forholding the shoes yieldingly in position whereby the shoes mayindependently move slightly to adapt themselves to the surface overwhich they are traveling, said means consisting of bolts extondinthrough the shocs, yielding cushions am tires and having nuts forholding the bolts in position.

5. An automobile wheel having the tire portion provided with a series ofrigidly 'united pockets circumferentially arranged and opening outward,combined with boxshapcd rubber linings to said pockets fitting thebottom and sides thereof in a continuous manner, and independent shoesclosely fitting the interior sides and bottom surfaces of said rubberlinings and having traction surfaces projecting beyond them.

6. In an automobile wheel, a metal tire having a series of pocketseircumferentially arranged and opening outward, combined with box-shapedrubber linings to said pockets provided with a series of places in thebody of the said linings from which the rubber is removed to form spaceswithin the linings into which the compressed lining may expand,independent shoes closely fitting the interior of said rubber liningsand having traction surfaces projecting beyond, and means for holdingthe shoes in the rubl ber linings and pockets.

7. In an automobile wheel, the combination of a continuous metal tiiehaving integral side walls and transverse walls to divide thecircumferential space between the side walls into a series of taperedpockets, independent shoes extending into the several pockets and havingend flanges d which extend toward each. other in pairs over thetransverse walls, interposed tapered boxshaped rubber parts between thewalls of the pockets and the body of the shoes and having flanges c attheir ends arranged between the end flanges (Z of the shoes and thetransverse walls, and means for yieldingly holding the shoes in positionupon the tire. I

8. In an automobile wheel, the combination of a continuous metal tireformed of one piece having integral side walls and transverse walls todivide the circumferential space between the side walls into a series ofpockets, independent shoes extending into the seyeral pockets and havingend flanges d which extend toward each other in pairs over thetransverse walls, interposed box-shaped rubber parts between the, wallsand bottom oi the pockets and the body 01 the shoes and having flanges cat their ends arranged between the end flanges pressure.

' on the outer edges of two opposite walls -with (Z or" the shoes andthe transverse walls, and i means or yieldingly holding the show; inposition upon the tire eoni-ist'ing oi bolts extending through 'the-;-.lioe:- box-:hnprd rubber parttire and telly, and \'i lding lockingdevices upon the i1u-:ide oi the tell; for drawing the bolts inward withyielding 9. A -'ielding eu: hion tor the elHHZ- or" an automobile wheelhaving pockets in it; tire and shoes adapted to the po(-l et:1'wliicliconsists of a box-shaped rubber cushion having continuous bottom and=ides the cushion being open at the top and having one or more holes inits bottom 'lor the retaining bolts.

10. A yielding cushion for the shoes of an automobile Wheel havingpockets in its tire and shoes adapted to the pockets which consists of atapered box-shaped rubber cushion having continuous bottom and sides theCushions being open at the top and provided flanges c, and having one ormore holes in its bottom for the retaining bol ts.

11. A yielding cushion for the shoes of an automobile wheel havingpockets in its tire and shoes adapted to the. pockets which cone sistsof a box-shaped rubber cushion having bottom and perforated sides andmade open at the top and having one or more holes in its bottom for theretaining bolts.

12. A yielding cushion for the shoes ofjan automobile wheel havingpockets in its tire and shoes adapted to the pockets which consists of atapered box-shaped rubber cushion having continuous bottom and sides andopen at the top also provided on. the outer edges of all the walls withoutwardly directed flanges c, and having one or more. holes in itsbottom for the retaining bolts.

13. In an automobile Wheel, the combination of a tire having pocketsarranged circumferentially and separated by trans- Verse walls, withbox-shaped cushion linings for the pockets, shoes fitting into-thecushion linings and each having a hole for a retaining bolt terminatingin a socket for the bolt head made spherical on the bottom, and boltsfor holding the shoes in position having heads formed with sphericalunder surfaces to adjustably engage the sockets whereby the shoes mayoscillate in all directions upon the cushion linings.

14. A replaceable shoe for an automobile Wheel, which consists of anintegral block curved on its outer surface and having an under taperedbody provided with a bolt hole and onall sides with bounding flanges dadjacent to the curved outer surface and extending beyond the tapered'body.

15. A replaceable shoe for an autpmobile Wheel Which consists of ahollow block having a curved outer corrugated wall bounded by flanges,and having an under tapered body within the area of the flanges andprofiruied with a b lt hole extending radially tlir -iugh the outer walland bottom of the shoe and enlarged at its outer end within the outerwall.

It An automobile wlieel'in which the telly is provided with a built-uptire having inner :tlltl outer metallic portions and interposed l t.-:-:-'haped rubber portions, the inner metallic portion being continuousand l'erir-ed with pockets and the outer metallic portion being insections and inter )osed iubizer portions being in sections and ittinginto the poelcets. so that the ends of the outer metallic sections comeclose together to form a substantially continuous metallic outersurf-tee.

17. An automobile wheel in which the telly is provided with a built-uptire. having inner and outer metallic portions and interposedbmz-mt-iped rubber portions, the inner metallic portion being continuousand formed with pockets and the outer metallic portion being in sectionsand interposed rubber portions being in sections and htting into thepockets so that the ends of the outer metallic sections come closetogether to form a substantially continuous metallic outer surface, andindependent means for securing each of the sections of the outermetallic, portion in the pockets of the continuous inner portion andclamping between them the box-shaped rubber portions, where-- by thesections 0 the outer metallic portion are permitted to yieldinglyoscillate.

18. In an automobile wheel, a metal tire having a series of taperedpockets opening outward in a radial direction and being of the fullwidth of the tire exce t for the side walls, combined. with box-s rapedrubber linings for said pockets having continuous sides and bottom,independent shoes having tapered portions tightly fitting upon the innersides and bottom of the box shaped linings, and retaining means forholding the shoes y' ieldingly in )lace.

19.- In an automobile wheel, a metal tire having a series of taperedpockets opening outward in a radial direction and being of the fullwidth of the tire except for the said walls, conibinet'l with box-shapedrubber linings for said pockets having continuous sidesand bottom andflanged at their outer edges as at a, independent shoes having outerflanged edges and inner tapered portions tightly fitting upon the innersides and bottom of 'the box-shaped linings and having their flangesarranged to clamp the Manges c of the rubber linings upon the outersurface of the tire, and retainin means for holding the shoes yieldinglyin p ace.

20. In an automobile wheel, the combination of a tire portion having aseries of outwardly,directed tapered pockets and a circular innersurface, a series of independent box-shaped rubber linings for saidpockets having continuous si endent shoes having tapered parts tightlytting upon' the sides and bottom ot the 5 rubber linings, and yieldingmeans for holding the shoes in place.

211 In an automobile wheel, the combination of a tire portion having aseries of outwardly directed tapered pockets and a 0 circular innersurface, a series of independent box-shaped rubber linings for saidpockets having continuous sides and bottom, indeendent shoes having desand bottom, inde-.

tapered parts tightly. fitting upon the sides and bottom of the s, awheel part having a telly 15 made with a circular outer surface, andyielding, means for holding the shoes in place consisting of boltsextending through the shoes, rubber linings, tire and fell and having11. yielding Washer supported oy the 30 telly.

In testimony of which invention, 1 have hereunto set my hand.

EDWARD S. LEA.

rubber lining Ni'tnesses:

M. E DnIsooLL, R. M. KELLY.

